Implementation and Evaluation of the Academic Improvement Program in a Private University in Western Mexico. Reactive measure to avoid university desertion.

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2024-555

Keywords:

Academic Improvement Program, Desertion, Private University, Permanence, Academic Performance, Academic Accompaniment, Most Significant Change, Mexico

Abstract

Introduction: This research aims to expose the results of the implementation of the Academic Improvement Programme (PMA) in a private university in western Mexico, designed to prevent student dropout. The study focused on students who entered for the first time on a face-to-face basis after the COVID-19 confinement. Methodology: A qualitative and interpretative approach was used, applying the Most Significant Change (MSC) technique. The study, with a case study perspective, involved 12 undergraduate law students who did not achieve the required academic performance and committed to participate in the LDC. Results: The results revealed five significant changes among the students: a) personal development and growth; b) emotional balance; c) application of study methods; d) recognition and gratitude for the personalised attention received; and e) recovery of motivation and self-confidence. Discussion: The results underline the effectiveness of PMA in improving students' well-being and academic performance, highlighting its potential to address post-confinement difficulties. Conclusions: Based on these results, it is proposed to continue applying PMA to all students in the different schools and faculties of the university, given its positive impact on student performance and well-being.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Eva Gricelda Ochoa Cedeño, Panamerican University

Degree in Public Accounting from the Universidad Panamericana, Master in Administration from the Universidad de Guadalajara, Master in Taxes from the Universidad de Guadalajara, Diploma in Marriage and Family from the Universidad Panamericana, Specialisation in Anthropology and Ethics from the Universidad Panamericana, Specialisation in Didactic Competences from the Universidad Panamericana, currently PhD candidate in Business Sciences from the Universidad Panamericana; Administrative positions such as: General Accountant of the Universidad Panamericana, Treasurer of the Universidad Panamericana and currently Administrative Secretary of the Faculty of Law of the same University. Professor in the following subjects: Basic Accounting, Intermediate Accounting, Administrative Accounting and Costs, Corporate Management and Introduction to Economics.

Alejandro Rodríguez Magaña, Panamerican University

Degree in Administration and Finance; Specialisations: in Corporate Finance, in Corporate Matters, in Anthropology and Ethics and in Didactic Competences (Universidad Panamericana), in Banking and Finance at the IEB in Madrid. Master in Financial Economics at USACH, Republic of Chile. Senior Management Programme D1 at IPADE and the D. in Administrative Sciences at IPN. Professor of various undergraduate and graduate and postgraduate courses at the Universidad anamericana. Business experience. Currently General Administrator of UP Guadalajara and UP Aguascalientes. Active participation in the media, currently with a weekly financial commentary on W-Radio and X-ti TV. Former President of IMEF Guadalajara in 2019. Belongs to the S.N.I. level 1. Independent director of several companies.

Ligia García Bejar, Panamerican University

PhD in Communication; Master in Communication; Master in Radio, Television and Film; Certificate in Hispanic Marketing Communication; Bachelor in Pedagogy; Specialisation in Anthropology and Ethics; Specialisation in Didactic Competences; Research Professor at the School of Pedagogy and Psychology (Universidad Panamericana) with the responsibility of the research secretariat; Associate member of the Mexican Council for Educational Research; Member of S.N.I. level 1; Collaborates in the Recrea research of the Ministry of Education of Jalisco. Executive Manager of the project ‘Leadership programme in character education for Mexican public schools’ in collaboration with the University of Navarra; Lines of research in: digital audience studies, internet uses in children, adolescents and young people; and academic and research trajectories in private universities.

References

Álvarez-Pérez, P. y López-Aguilar, D. (2019). Perfil de ingreso y problemas de adaptación del alumnado universitario según la perspectiva del profesorado. REOP, 30, 46–63. https://revistas.uned.es/index.php/reop/article/view/26272/pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.5944/reop.vol.30.num.3.2019.26272

Anadón, M. y Valles Martínez, M. S. (2005). La investigación llamada “cualitativa”: de la dinámica de su evolución a los innegables logros y los cuestionamientos presentes. In Reis: Revista española de investigaciones sociológicas, 26(2), 198-211. https://acortar.link/iz4f9e

Beer, C. y Lawson, C. (2017). The problem of student attrition in higher education: An alternative perspective. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 41(6), 773–784. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2016.1177171 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2016.1177171

Belando-Montoro, M. R., Naranjo-Crespo, M. y Carrasco-Temiño, M. A. (2022). Barriers and facilitators to the retention and participation of socially, economically, and culturally disadvantaged university students. An international systematic review. International Journal of Educational Research, 113, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2022.101968 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2022.101968

Bonilla-García, M. y López-Suárez, A. (2016). Ejemplificación del proceso metodológico de la teoría fundamentada. Cinta de Moebio, 57, 305-315. https://doi.org/10.4067/s0717-554x2016000300006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-554X2016000300006

Castillo-Sánchez, M., Gamboa-Araya, R. y Hidalgo-Mora, R. (2020). 23.Factors that influence student dropout and failing grades in a university mathematics course. Uniciencia, 34(1), 219–245. https://doi.org/10.15359/RU.34-1.13 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15359/ru.34-1.13

Castro-Montoya, B. A., Lopera-Gómez, C. M., Manrique-Hernández, R. D. y González Gómez, D. (2021). A competing dropout and graduation risk survival analysis of undergraduate students at a private university in Medellín (Colombia). Formacion Universitaria, 14(1), 81–98. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-50062021000100081 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-50062021000100081

Chacón-Vargas, É. y Roldán-Villalobos, G. (2021). Factors affecting the academic performance of freshmen in the ITCR general mathematics course. Uniciencia, 35(1), 265–283. https://doi.org/10.15359/RU.35-1.16 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15359/ru.35-1.16

Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative Inquiry y Research Design Choosing Among Five Approaches. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Davies, R. y Jess, D. (2011). Técnica del “Cambio Más Significante” (MSC, por sus siglas en inglés) Guía para su uso

Dávila, R., Agüero, E., Portillo, H. y Omar, Q. (2022). Deserción Universitaria de los Estudiantes de una Universidad Peruana. Revista Universidad y Sociedad, 14(2), 421–427. https://acortar.link/YrGGeH

Farias Macias, A. A., Farias Macias, A. A., Pazmiño Pazmiño, H. C. y Mera Zambrano, S. E. (2022). Educational dropout generated as a result of the covid-19 pandemic in educational centers in Ecuador. Sapienza: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 3(7), 25–37. https://doi.org/10.51798/sijis.v3i7.499 DOI: https://doi.org/10.51798/sijis.v3i7.499

Ferreyra, M. M., Avitabile, C., Botero Álvarez, J., Haimovich Paz, F. y Urzúa, S. (2017). Momento decisivo: la educación superior en América Latina y el Caribe. Resúmen. Washington, DC: Banco Mundial. Licencia: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 3.0 IGO

Fuentes-Balderrama, J. y Rivera- Heredia, M. (2022). Factores personales, contextuales y académicos asociados a la reprobación en educación superior. Revista Mexicana de Investigación Educativa, 27(95), 1039–1062. https://bit.ly/3Wa6C1X

Galbán-Lozano, S. E. y García-Bejar, L. (2022). Experiences of University Professors Studying for a Doctoral Degree in the Mexican Context. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 17, 459–477. https://doi.org/10.28945/5028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.28945/5028

Gallegos, J. A., Campos, N. A., Canales, K. A. y González, E. N. (2018). ACS8E Factores Determinantes en la Deserción Universitaria. Caso Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas de la Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (Chile). Formación Universitaria, 11(3), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-50062018000300011 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-50062018000300011

Glaser, B. G. y Strauss, A. L. (2006). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Library of Congress

Grebennikov, L. y Shah, M. (2013). Student voice: using qualitative feedback from students to enhance their university experience. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(6), 606–618. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2013.774353 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2013.774353

Hernández Chávez, G., Cuauhtémoc, M. y Sánchez-García, J. (2020). Perfil de alumnos con abandono escolar en una universidad privada mexicana. CPU-e, Revista de Investigación Educativa, 97-121. https://cpue.uv.mx/index.php/cpue/article/view/2703 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25009/cpue.v0i31.2703

Hoff, N., Olson, A. y Peterson, R. L. (2015, March). Dropout Screening and Early Warning. Topic Brief. Lincoln, NE: Student Engagement Project, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Nebraska Department of Education. https://bit.ly/3W96mQZ

Hughes, G. y Smail, O. (2015). Which aspects of university life are most and least helpful in the transition to HE? A qualitative snapshot of student perceptions. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 39(4), 466–480. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2014.971109 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2014.971109

Jones, H. (2020). When the journey is as important as the destination: Time-averaged retention as an alternate measure of student engagement and program impact. Student Success, 11(1), 75–84. https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v11i1.1464 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.v11i1.1464

Martinic, R. (2019). ¿Qué hay tras la permanencia universitaria? Los cambios más significativos en el acompañamiento. Educ. Pesqui, 45, 1–20. https://www.scielo.br/j/ep/a/XfS3NyZ8Snpw9CyX3Yp8tKD/?lang=es DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/s1678-4634201945190724

Ochoa, E., Rodríguez, A. y García, L. (2023). Rendimiento académico: factor de riesgo de deserción a analizar en una universidad privada en el Occidente de México. En E. Brito.

OECD (2019). Education at a Glance 2019: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/f8d7880d-en DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/f8d7880d-en

Paez Manjarrez, P., Maldonado Torres, F. A., Imperial Sosa, M. K., Samaniego Ojeda, J., Exzacarías Martínez, J. A. y Macías Villanueva, A. V. (2023). Diseño, construcción y validación de un instrumento para medir factores de riesgo en estudiantes universitarios de primer ingreso. Revista Complutense de Educación, 34(2), 367–377. https://doi.org/10.5209/rced.79326 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/rced.79326

Perander, K., Londen, M., Holm, G. y Tiihonen, S. (2020). Becoming a university student: An emotional rollercoaster. Hogre Utbildning, 10(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.23865/hu.v10.1462 DOI: https://doi.org/10.23865/hu.v10.1462

Roberts, S. (2011). Traditional practice for non-traditional students? Examining the role of pedagogy in higher education retention. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 35(2), 183–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877x.2010.540320 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2010.540320

Russell, L. y Jarvis, C. (2019). Student withdrawal, retention and their sense of belonging; their experience in their words. Research in Educational Administration & Leadership, 4(3), 494-525. https://doi.org/10.30828/real/2019.3.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.30828/real/2019.3.3

Thumiki, V. R. R. (2019). Student dropout from foundation program at modern college of business & science, Sultanate of Oman. International Journal of Higher Education, 8(5), 118–133. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v8n5p118 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v8n5p118

Urbina-Nájera, A. B., Camino-Hampshire, J. C. y Cruz-Barbosa, R. (2020). Deserción escolar universitaria: Patrones para prevenirla aplicando minería de datos educativa. RELIEVE, 26(1). http://doi.org/10.7203/relieve.26.1.16061 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/relieve.26.1.16061

Velázquez Narváez, Y. y González Medina, M. A. (2017). Factors associated with student persistence: The case of the UAMM-UAT. Revista de La Educación Superior, 46(184), 117–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resu.2017.11.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resu.2017.11.003

Downloads

Published

2024-08-21

How to Cite

Ochoa Cedeño, E. G., Rodríguez Magaña, A., & García Bejar, L. (2024). Implementation and Evaluation of the Academic Improvement Program in a Private University in Western Mexico. Reactive measure to avoid university desertion. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 9, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2024-555

Issue

Vol. 9 (2024)

Section

INNOVATING IN AVANT-GARDE EDUCATIONAL FORMS

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Eva Gricelda Ochoa Cedeño, Alejandro Rodríguez Magaña, Ligia García Bejar

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Non Commercial, No Derivatives Attribution 4.0. International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.), that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).